'Rustown,' presented at BIC by the Korean indie development team Plotrick, is an action-adventure game that blends stealth, environmental puzzles, and a heartwarming human story within a heavy, dystopian world.

Rustown is set five years after a deadly encephalopathy virus—dubbed the 'Fool Virus'—swept across the globe, stripping victims of their intelligence. Those suffering from cognitive decline as a side effect are branded as 'half-wits' and quarantined in Rustown. The protagonist, Jian, heads to the town after receiving a letter from their father, an infected patient who went missing three years ago.

The atmosphere is unsettling from the moment Jian boards the train to Rustown. Even a mother traveling to the town with her infected child is frequently harassed by thugs, and those who try to intervene still recoil in disgust, keeping their distance from the pair. Jian claims to be immune, though the details remain unclear early on. For now, Jian focuses solely on the journey to find their father, keeping a distance from the chaos.

The simple structure of a quarter-view perspective combined with repetitive movement continues even after reaching 'Rustown.' With the introduction of a vigilante group claiming to keep the infected at bay, and a rival organization called 'Blue Fence' that prevents the uninfected from approaching the town, one would naturally expect a series of battles. However, the protagonist, Jian, arrives in Rustown without carrying any weapons, and shows no real interest in gathering equipment once there. Instead, the focus remains on exploring the vertically layered, three-dimensional city and solving environmental puzzles.

Players must navigate rooftops, basements, and building ledges to forge shortcuts within the quarter-view perspective. As most residents have become cognitively impaired, the city's infrastructure is in a state of paralysis, with roads broken and disconnected. Furthermore, Blue Fence operatives hostile to non-infected individuals patrol key areas, making passage difficult. Players must hide from their line of sight or find alternative routes they cannot access.

This non-violent approach—using the environment to distract enemies or finding detours—might seem dull at first glance, as post-apocalyptic games typically lean toward combat. However, as hinted by the father's letter, Plotrick gradually weaves in themes of family, neighborly affection, and the restoration of community. While games often associate infection with irreversible zombie-like symptoms, reality has shown us that people struggle and make progress to help the infected return to normal life, as seen in the global response to COVID-19 since early 2020.

Of course, the game's setting and graphics don't perfectly mirror real-world conditions like COVID-19; the infected have blue-tinted skin, making them easily identifiable. Most suffer from low intelligence, making normal communication difficult. Even those in better condition often lose short-term memory, forgetting they've already fed a dog treats and continuing to do so. Yet, the perspective that they are still neighbors and human beings is presented naturally as you explore the city. While the quarter-view might seem to hinder immersion, the need to investigate the environment to navigate the cluttered city naturally draws players into the context.

As the investigation continues, a question arises: how could Jian's father, who should be suffering from the cognitive decline caused by the 'Fool Virus,' have sent a coherent letter? While the BIC 2026 demo didn't provide enough time to uncover all the clues, it leaves players eager to discover the hidden story behind this human drama.